Kalyug (1981 film)

Kalyug (Age of vice) is a 1981 Indian Hindi-language crime drama film, directed by Shyam Benegal. It is known as a modern-day version of the Indian epic Mahabharat, depicting an archetypal conflict between rival business houses. Kalyug went on to win the Filmfare Award for Best Film in 1982.[1][2]

Kalyug
Film poster
Directed byShyam Benegal
Produced byShashi Kapoor
Written byShyam Benegal
Satyadev Dubey
Girish Karnad
StarringShashi Kapoor
Rekha
Raj Babbar
Anant Nag
Music byVanraj Bhatia
CinematographyGovind Nihalani
Edited byBhanudas Divakar
Release date
  • 24 July 1981 (1981-07-24)
Running time
152 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageHindi

The screenplay and plot are quite different from Mahabharat. However, the characterization and the critical events had a striking similarity with the epic. Shashi Kapoor, Rekha, Raj Babbar, Supriya Pathak, Anant Nag, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Sushma Seth, Akash Khurana, Victor Bannerjee, Reema Lagoo, and A.K. Hangal played major roles, while Urmila Matondkar appeared as a child artist.

Cast

Plot

This is a tale of intrigue, plots and the inevitable war between two families.

Ramchand and Bhishamchand were two pioneering brothers in business. Bhishamchand, a lifelong bachelor, brought up the two sons of Ramchand upon his demise. He also gave the family business a firm foundation. Khubchand (Vinod Doshi), the elder son of Ramchand begets two sons, Dhanraj (Victor Banerjee) and Sandeepraj (Akash Khurana). Puranchand, Khubchand's younger brother, had died a few years ago. His three sons are Dharamraj (Raj Babbar), Balraj (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) and Bharatraj (Anant Nag). Another player in the game is Karan (Shashi Kapoor), an orphan brought up by Bhishamchand.

A series of events brings the long-hidden feud between the two families to light. Despite Bhishamchand's efforts to mediate between the two, the situation gets out of hand and events take a tragic turn. Dhanraj's men accidentally kill the young son of Balraj and to take revenge, Bharatraj murders Karan. Quite a few skeletons from the family cupboard are brought into the open that only add to the tensions and hatred, finally culminating in the destruction of the two families, showing the brittleness of our moral fabric.

Reception

Anil Dharker, writing for International Film Guide, wrote a positive review, calling it "ambitious" and noting it as "the most complex of Benegal's films so far", which is "carefully paced" and "expertly put together". Dharker praised the cinematographic work and the acting: "Govind Nihalani, Benegal's regular cameraman, highlights each shifting mood with skillful lighting. The cast, most of it Benegal regulars, is excellent, with virtuoso performances from Victor Banerjee, and Shashi Kapoor..."[3] Kalyug was entered into the 12th Moscow International Film Festival.[4]

References
  1. Shyam Benegal at filmreference
  2. "Kalyug - 1981". cinemasangeet. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  3. Dharker, Anil (1981). Peter Cowie (ed.). International Film Guide. Tantivy Press: 178. ISBN 0-498-02568-3. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. "12th Moscow International Film Festival (1981)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
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